Complications of patients with thalassemia major and intermedia in a selected Iranian population

Background: Due to anemia in thalassemia major (TM) and thalassemia intermedia (TI) patients, bone changes occur, especially in the broad bones like jaw and skull, which are the main sites of hematopoiesis. Therefore, the dentist should be aware of the disease to prevent complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographic findings of the jaw and teeth in TM and TI patients and to compare the two groups. Methods: 50 TM patients and 50 TI patients in Amirkola Thalassemia Center, whose thalassemia were definitively diagnosed by a hematologist, were selected as the study group and the control group consisted of 50 healthy individuals. In patients` panoramic radiographs, dental anomalies (microdontia, root shortening etc.) and bone disorders (bone marrow hyperplasia, maxillary sinus invisibility etc.) were assessed. A p<0.05 was considered. Results: Dental anomalies were (42.84) in TI patients and (23.46) in the control group, the difference was significant. Dental anomalies in TM patients were (38.76) and in the control group (23.46) and a significant difference was observed (p<0.001). Bone disorders were (47.94) in TI patients and in the control group (32.64). Bone disorders in TM patients were (44.88) and in the control group was (32.64) that showed a significant difference. Conclusion: This study showed that in thalassemia patients, bone and dental disorders frequency were higher than healthy individuals. Bone disorders were also more common than dental anomalies. Dental and bone disorders were more common in TI

Incidence and investigation of Covid-19 trend in Babol, northern Iran: A Joinpoint regression analysis

Background: In December 2019, China released the first report of the coronavirus (COVID-19). On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the COVID-19 as “pandemic”. The rapid occurrence of positive cases motivated this study to examine the trend of incidence cases. Methods: We used the data from the database of the Deputy of Health of Babol City and in Iran, the country report of definite cases of the disease that was reported to the World Health Organization had been used. This study was a cross-sectional study and the data from period of 56 weeks (from February 24, 2020 to March 20, 2021) were gathered. Descriptive analysis with SPSS20 and data classification with EXCEL2016 and Joinpoint regression with Joinpoint trend analysis software 4.9.0.0 identify the significant changes in the temporal trends of the outbreak. Results: In this study, 11341 patients with a mean age of 53.56 years, of whom 5865(51.5) were males, were studied. Three waves of Covid19 were created. AWPC (average weekly percentage change) incidence rate with a slope of 2.7 was estimated for Babol and 6.2 for Iran. The incidence was higher in men in the first wave of 1887(55.6) and so is the third 2373(50.1), the average age in the third wave (50.92) was lower than the other waves as well. Conclusion: The incidence of coronavirus in men was higher in three waves and also the incidence was increasing in younger age groups. Also, due to the observance of health protocols and quarantine during the peak in Iran and Babol, we witnessed a decrease in incidence

Correlation between HbA1c Levels and Depression in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Background and purpose: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease with multiple long-term complications that could trigger depression. This study was performed to determine the relationship between HbA1C levels and depression in children and adolescents with T1DM. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in all children and adolescents with T1DM attending an endocrine clinic affiliated with Amirkola Children's Hospital, Iran 2018-2019. The patients aged 7-18 years old and at least 1.5 years had passed since the onset of their diabetes. Average of three HbA1c values (every six months) were considered and depression was measured using the Marques Children Depression Inventory. Results: Out of 100 patients with T1DM based on age-appropriate HbA1c, good, poor, and severe control of diabities were seen in 22%, 74%, and 4%, respectively. The risk of of depression in patients with poor control of diabities was 1.75 times higher than those with a good control of the disease, but this was not statistically significant (P=0.29). The risk of depression in children with illness duration of more than 6 years was 3.74 times higher than that in children with less than 6 years duration of the disease (P= 0.005). Conclusion: Better management of T1DM and HbA1c levels are needed to reduce the risk of depression in these patients